Podcast Real and TV Firefighting
by Dabbled-at-Euchre
Summary: Otis podcasts about a TV series. Shay and Severide join in. Oneshot. Takes place sometime between 2X4 and 2x8.


Brian "Otis" Zvonecek loved having a podcast about firefighting. He was far from being the best firefighter in his firehouse. In fact, it was only Peter's arrival that stopped him from being the newest guy on the truck. But he was the lead (and usually the only) firefighter on the best (and, usually the only) podcast about the Chicago Fire Department.

His roommates Leslie Shay and Kelly Severide were in Severide's room, probably discussing something private. He didn't mind: everyone had their secrets. Sitting by the TV, he finished watching the last episode of the downloadable TV show he was studying while eating a cheeseburger. Then he turned off the TV, reviewed his notes and began to record his podcast. (He wasn't uploading yet: If he flubbed or was interrupted he wanted the option of doing another take.) "Topic for this podcast; the new Netflix original available online show "Boston F. D." What do real firefighters think of it? Is it a good depiction of big city firefighting?"

Imitating the format of the Oscars, he took an envelope, noisy opened it, and declared "And the answer is… Not so much.

The last firefighting show before this, "Rescue Me" had all its characters overdone, but at least it demonstrated that firefighters wandering through smoky rooms where they can't see squat can be dramatic. But I know, from watching, that "Boston F. D." is filmed on a well ventilated set, so they can clearly and unrealistically show the big flames.

The building fires themselves tend too often to be big, either for drama or because the writers work off the stereotypes created by the TV news.

The majority of building fires have one or two rooms and the stuff in them burning. And that's where a firefighter really shows his skill. Or her skill. What your training and experience lead to. And even the lessons you pick up from listening to the older guys BS in the common room.

.

On the show, firefighters are rarely shown using hoses to put the wet stuff on the red stuff. And are rarely shown ventilating. It's as if search and rescue is the only dramatic part of firefighting.

Maybe that ties into the engine crew never being shown in much detail, the show focusing on the truck, the battalion chief, and some, but not all, the guys on the rescue unit . Me, I wonder what my life would be like if I barely had anything to do with some of my housemates on my shift. Make for a lot of strangers at the dinner table.

It IS good" he emphasized "that that the show also follows a few ambulances, which is a tad difficult because in Boston, unlike Chicago, the shifts don't match up so neatly between the two departments. There is also some focus on the police, but frankly, police are already over-represented on TV shows.

The majority of non fire saves the crews would be called on should involve heart or breathing trouble, maybe ODs, strokes or falls. Sometimes victims of traffic or other accidents, shooting or stabbing victims after the other party has fled the scene. But those aren't always visually interesting-it would take good writing to build suspense on some patient the audience never saw before and only can only tell how bad off they are from listening to what the victim, bystanders and rescuers say.

The show frequently goes in another direction with having all kinds of visually noticeable danger, often that endangers the rescuers too. Such as a construction site collapse with men trapped in a hole. A man who was working on top of a school with a very steep roof, trapped with when his safety harness breaks. A car crash into an electric pole, to add a live wire to the situation. Later a sinkhole spontaneously forms in the middle of the city, trapping victims. Then an ambulance is sideswiped in traffic. Crew seems injured, but then turn out to be just shaken up. Then there's the incident with the bomb.

As variations on a theme, one medical run and one fire run feature hysterical armed, gunslinger wanna-be types who need to be urged "Don't shoot! We're not the cops!" Then in one episode there's a need to break into a house to rescue now unconscious patient, who's alone except for a vicious looking large dog defending her owner. On a later episode, a patient is sick from being bitten by an illegal dangerous snake they were keeping, that's now threatening rescuers. Now let me guess, next season a woman who used to work at a big cat rescue center sneaks a jaguar home, then has a stroke.

Each of these is possible by themselves, but put together it gets ridiculous. Not unlike a 70s TV show where Firefighters Roy and Johnny seemed to specialize in saving people trapped up high." His voice dipping with sarcasm, he paused for breath. Also, something in the back of his mind was bothering him about that list. (In fact, something was bothering him about the whole "Boston F. D." series, but he never could put his finger on it.) As he turned to check his notes he noticed his roommates in the doorway of Severide's room, listening in.

Severide spoke first "You told me you used to like "Gilligan's Island". Did you really think that was realistic for what it's like to be shipwrecked in the Pacific?"

Shay joined in. "Now that you got your complaint out of the way, talk about what you liked. You downloaded all 13 episodes in only five days. And that's skipping the day you were at work, where you didn't download any episodes to avoid whatever ribbing you might get for studying firefighting from TV."

Otis tried to explain "I was studying it for the podcast. Yes, I admit there were some good moments if you take it as light entertainment only." Shay gave him a look, so he explained "the thing where the officer, completely deadpan, outwitted the guy who complained they'd stolen his jewelry that was cool. Also the resolution of the rogue cop thing."

Severide pointed out "You looked glum all morning after seeing Carly and Paul break up, even though you predicted from the first episode that she'd wind up with Briggs."

Otis agreed, sadly, "The trust issue was messy. I saw both their points, knowing it was coming didn't soften the blow."

Shay added "And don't tell me you don't like watching the babes on that show. Plus it's equal opportunity. My straight friend Rachel tweeted about how hot some of those guys are."

Severide said 'The fires may be all fakey, but I see how your eyes go wide as you watch those scenes. Wanna watch one rigged to a heart monitor? I bet your pulse goes up by at least 20, even if you know it's all Hokum."

Otis shrugged "Well, there you have it. It can't pass as realism, works great as TV if you don't care. So what do you think is coming next season?"

Shay said "Now that Sally's parents are selling the house to move to Florida, she and her straight friend Matt should get a place together. Sort of a Will and Grace situation, only with the genders flipped."

Otis tried again to be the voice of realism. "No series, even a netflix original, will show that. They avoid it because of how many guys in the audience think lesbians are all man-haters and won't buy that she could be that close to a straight man."

"Just because she doesn't date men, she obviously hates them? Chauvinist bullshit to think men inspire strong feelings in a woman like that." Shay argued in a joking fashion.

Severide piped in. "Otis, I only date women, but I don't hate men. I get along with myself, the guys on my shift, and my guy buddies fine. I figured you were the same way."

Shay took it from there "Yeah, Otis, I thought you only dated women cause of your nature, and I understood that, but if you're really a self-loathing man hater, you should probably get therapy."

Otis smiled at the ribbing, and decided this take would work fine. Crediting his roommates by name for their comments, he signed off.

It wasn't till he was in bed that night that he finally realized what had been bothering him about"Boston F. D."


End file.
